Author Topic: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!  (Read 129480 times)

Randall75

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #120 on: April 17, 2016, 12:06:04 AM »
You did all that work just to haul mulch in the wagon  [biggrin]


cheers


 [cheers1]











Steve

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Re: Some "settling in" details to work out. (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #121 on: April 17, 2016, 04:45:55 PM »
I bought a generic rubber pickup bed liner and cut that to fit in the cargo area, but that doesn't have any walls.  So it didn't keep the water from leaking to the carpet.  I also have a smaller carpet protector with walls as you describe, but it wouldn't have been large enough for those bags.  I doubt I could find a carpet protector that would fit perfectly in the cargo area, but at least I should be able to find a protector that is large enough to carry bags like that.

I carry a cheap 4X6 plastic tarp in my wagon to carry mulch and other messy things. It wraps up the sides, front, and back, forming its own tray.
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


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elagache

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D'oh! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #122 on: April 18, 2016, 12:12:13 AM »
Dear Randall, Steve, and WeatherCat classic vehicle enthusiasts . . . .

You did all that work just to haul mulch in the wagon  [biggrin]

 [biggrin] . . . . Well now, I wouldn't say that! . . . .  [biggrin]

I carry a cheap 4X6 plastic tarp in my wagon to carry mulch and other messy things. It wraps up the sides, front, and back, forming its own tray.

D'oh!! . . .

Can you believe I also have carried a plastic tarp of the correct size since at least the late 1980s and . . . . the tarp was in one of those plastic egg carton boxes that you can see in the photo.  I completely forgot to deploy the tarp!   

*Sigh*, I have to get reacquainted with my wagon once more!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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Dear WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

The fuel injection saga took another even more pleasant twist this week.  I had started to try to learn how to adjust the tune myself, but before I could get very far from it, the fellow who sold me the system said he was going to be in the San Francisco bay area this week.  He lives in the Sierra foothills, but he has so many customers around San Francisco, that visits are frequent.

It was clear that I was over my head, so I agreed to have him take a shot at tuning the engine for his usual fee.

WOW!!  [bounce]  Installing this system had made the engine more quiet and making some adjustment had further reduced the noise, but a professional tune knocked down the sound another quantum factor!

I'll spare you the gory details, but it is very much like us old-fashion guys used to do with tuning a carburetor to get a smooth idle - extended to the entire power band.  The other amazing thing is how you do this from a laptop.  Those of you who remember, adjusting the timing was always a pain.  Since this electronic fuel injection system also controls the ignition - timing is another software setting.  It was set at 15˚, the guy thought it needed to be advanced to 20˚ - he just typed in 20 in the appropriate box and - presto!  Timing was now set to 20˚!!

The other wonderful thing about this software tune is that the software can really support the process.  The FAST software even includes some 3d graph generators to help you visualize how the engine is reacting to the tune.  Here is a graph showing the state of the tune on March 27 that shows the self-tuning algorithm adding some "bumps" to the surface of this curve at the center of the image:



Those discontinuities would make the engine operate more roughly than necessary.  Here is the same graph after the fellow had completed his expert tune:



See now smooth and continuous the surface has become.  Those are the sorts of conditions that give you the smoothest and quietest performance.

My trusty wagon got the call for the weekly grocery run and it was really amazing.  The stereo doesn't have to be put so loud so that you can enjoy the music and except when accelerating hard, it is easy to have a conversation.

Normally, you can't use the adjective "quiet" to describe any big-block engine from the muscle car area.  However, if you are "persistent" (or is that stubborn?) sometimes you can!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #124 on: April 29, 2016, 01:22:44 AM »
Interesting update Edouard. Amazing technology.
Blick


xairbusdriver

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #125 on: April 29, 2016, 04:13:32 AM »
You mean you got rid of the spark advance on the steering column?! Sad, truly sad...

I won't be surprised to hear you say you've added some software that shifts the gears for you... [banghead]
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


elagache

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Now I need to understand how it works! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #126 on: April 30, 2016, 12:44:03 AM »
Dear Blick, X-Air and WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

Interesting update Edouard. Amazing technology.

Yes it is!  Now I need to go back and try to see if I can really understand how this system works!

You mean you got rid of the spark advance on the steering column?! Sad, truly sad...

I guess is wasn't standard for a Buick Deluxe Special.  After all the Deluxe Special was second from the bottom in the Buick line-up in 1965!

I won't be surprised to hear you say you've added some software that shifts the gears for you... [banghead]

Alas, this is an older transmission that doesn't support computer control.  However, later GM transmissions do and after market companies are coming up with new products all the time.  Right now the transmission is shifting a lot better (it is an automatic,) however if a computer control did come out . . . . .

I might buy it . . . . . Yes I might!  ;D

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

xairbusdriver

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #127 on: April 30, 2016, 01:36:35 AM »

Quote
Quote
I won't be surprised to hear you say you've added some software that shifts the gears for you...
it is an automatic
I rest my case! :o :P
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system


elagache

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More caregiving duties (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #128 on: May 06, 2016, 12:04:27 AM »
Dear WeatherCat forum regulars,

Sorry, I never made it to the WeatherCat forum yesterday and only barely made it today.  Yesterday, my trusty wagon went over to Orinda Motors to adjust the shims on the starter motor so it wouldn't squeal.  Today, I was back troubleshooting a cold-start issue with the fuel injection system.  Since a "normal day" is plenty busy . . . . need I say more!

So hang in there gang!  Stu also appears to be really busy, so we need to support one another!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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Another tune, another bag . . . . (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #129 on: May 12, 2016, 12:03:49 AM »
Dear WeatherCat automobile enthusiasts,

I'm trying to tweak the fuel injection settings on my trusty wagon to get her to start more smoothly when cold.  So I tweaked the parameters one more, uploaded them into the ECU (Engine Control Unit,) started the software logging and . . . . . .

She definitely didn't like it!

Checking the logs now the fuel mixture is too rich during the start up when it was too lean before.  So I've got to aim for in-between.

At least in the meantime, my wagon and I did something useful . . . . .



Hopefully it will be the last bag I'll need this spring!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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Another day another load . . . (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #130 on: May 21, 2016, 12:28:01 AM »
Dear WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

I'm feeling rather remiss because I hoped to take some more springtime photos and I can see that most of the opportunities have completely slipped through my fingers - I've just been too busy.  Speaking of busy, my trusty wagon had another load to bring home:



The "feathered creatures" will now be taken care of for another month of so and our cleaning needs will go another few months.  Such is the life of an "assertive" family wagon!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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Another company using Silicon Labs. (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #131 on: May 23, 2016, 12:05:19 AM »
Dear WeatherCat observers of technology,

The company that manufactured the fuel injection system in my trusty wagon allows you download the software to adjust the tune, but it remains in demo mode until you actually connect it to the ECU (Engine Control Unit.)  I have a newer MacBook Pro basically dedicated as a desktop machine with an external monitor and precision mouse.  That's a much better tool for adjusting tunes than my older MacBook that I take down to the garage.  So I decided to connect my "desktop" MacBook so the tuning software would be taken out of demo mode.

I run Hardware Growler on my main MacBook Pro, but don't have it on my older MacBook.  So I was very much surprised when Hardware Growler reported that the Fuel Injection is a USB UART device!  I didn't poke around but it seems likely that FAST (Fuel Air Spark Technologies) and Davis Instruments went with a the same technology to implement USB.  Like Davis, FAST used to have serial devices, so it makes sense that they would using the same sort of chips to make the transition from serial to USB.  Here is the page on the Silicon Labs website highlighting their products:

https://www.silabs.com/products/interface/usb-bridges/Pages/usb-bridges.aspx

Davis is using the CP2102 chipset.

As the old saying goes "it is a small world after all", but you normally don't associate that with electronic devices!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

WCDev

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #132 on: May 29, 2016, 11:38:46 AM »
Just out of interest Edouard, is this your only car? Or do you have a daily beater to keep the miles off?

elagache

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Caretaker of two Buicks (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #133 on: May 29, 2016, 11:36:46 PM »
Howdy Stu and WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

Just out of interest Edouard, is this your only car? Or do you have a daily beater to keep the miles off?

Well until 2010 my trusty wagon was my only car.  However, at that point my Mom's macular degeneration had gotten so severe that she could no longer drive her car: a 2000 Buick Century.  So in exchange for driving Mom around as needed, I can use the "Junior Buick."  Neither car is getting a whole lot of miles.  The Century (who of course also has a French name: Coquette) still doesn't have 50,000 miles.  That works out to a bit over 3000 miles a year for a 16 year old car.  If things go as they should, I should be able to bring two Buicks to classic car shows in 10 years or so!  :)

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

WCDev

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #134 on: May 30, 2016, 01:43:28 PM »
Makes sense  [tup] I used to run an old Range Rover (with a variant of your engine I believe), but to keep the miles off also had a daily driver.